Thursday, October 3, 2013

I would like to declare, here and now, that after over thirty years on this planet, I have finally come to the fact that Autumn is my favorite season. This came to me recently after first, remembering that winter is upon us and how awful this past snow filled winter months were. Then I decided with Spring, although its lovely, you still have that winter chill lingering. You are mostly cold, and then relish in those warms days where you can break out the flip flops. And summer. It once was the most favorite season, but let's be honest, now that I am older, I still have to work all summer, getting into a bathing suit is sometimes not ideal, and I prefer the A/C over hanging outside in 100 degree weather anyday.

Now that I have babbled on for way too long...I wanted to share some home decor inspiration. I got so excited when I saw the pumpkins at the grocery store, especially the green and fun shaped gourds. I plan on adding a few autumn touches into my home, but until then I have been pinning on Pinterest and shared a few here for you. Check out all my pins on our Holiday Inspiration board.

The Autumn Essentials board is designed by Jones Design Company - and you can go here to get a free printable version of it. It pretty much sums up all of the reasons I love Autumn.

Until I have my own rooms to share, check out these cool finds from Pinterest. Have you started decorating?

Wednesday, November 7, 2012

I recently found two wonderful lipstick colors at my neighborhood drugstore. One from Maybelline and one from Revlon.

The Maybelline color is called Summer Sunset in the Color Sensational product line. Although it has summer in the name, I plan to wear it during the Fall season and into winter. It is a warmer pink with a hint of red. My lips tend to turn lip colors more pink, so I always look for a deeper hue to keep it darker.

Maybelline Color Sensational in Summer Sunset

The Revlon color is called Fig Jam. It is from the Colorburst Lip Butter product line and really does feel like butter going on - smooth and moisturizing. Although it has fig in the name, I think this color goes on more brown/mauve than a purple that I picture from a fig. It has a touch of sparkle and looks very warm and subtle on the lips.

Thursday, November 1, 2012

I have been dreaming about all of my new fall fashion purchases in my last month of pregnancy and am very excited by how much color there is this year! Here are some of my top items that I want to add to my fall collection:

Wednesday, October 24, 2012

It's another Setting the Table series with our great friend Emily. We are so proud and happy to call Emily one of our best friends.

Emily Walters runs her own business in Kansas City, emmy-ray, which focuses on floral design for weddings and events, and also jewelry and accessories for men and women. Be sure to check out her blog, Handmaker of Things, and her website, emmy-ray.

Au revior,

Jamie

If you’re anything like me you’re looking for easy ways to
decorate your home as the seasons change.Let’s face it, we don’t always have time to spend hours creating amazing
décor.However if you’re looking for a
way to take what you’ve already got and use it for a fall tablescape, this
simple little DIY should do the trick.Take the vases you already have, and turn them into lovely autumn
centerpieces.

Here’s what you’ll need:

Clear vases.I used simple cylinders, but you can use whatever you may have around
the house.

Scissors

Double sided tape

Jute or twine

Preserved natural fall leaves, or if you don’t
need the leaves to last too long go grab some from your yard.

Flowers for your arrangements.In this case I sent with a nice neutral white
and grey palette so as not to contrast or distract from the leaves on the
vases.

Select a few of your favorite leaves, and cut from the
branch if needed. Take a bit of double
sided tape, attach to your leaf, and press to the vase. Layer and overlap the leaves, turning them in
different directions. I placed mine in a
semi line around the outside of the vase.

Take your jute or twine and begin wrapping it around your
vase, leaving about 8-10 inches at the beginning so you can tie in a bow at the
end. Wrap several times, criss crossing
and moving up and down. When you’re
happy with the amount of twine, tie in a bow and snip the ends.

You’re done! Yes it
really is that easy, and once you add your flowers it makes a great display,
and no one will know it only took minutes to make! Put multiple vases in a line down the center
of your table with gourds and candles, perfect for Thanksgiving. And since you will be busy in the kitchen
this arrangement is ideal because of it’s simplicity.

Thursday, October 4, 2012

Fall is one of my favorite times of the year. The cool breeze, leaves changing and the smell of comfort food in the kitchen. With that change also comes the change in makeup. Your skin color changes (well mine does) as well as your wardrobe, so I go for deeper and darker eye shadow colors. I recently went to the Bobbi Brown make-up counter at Halls to get some new eye shadow shades for the season.

I prefer a more natural look during the day, but like to use eye shadow colors for both day and evening. The very knowledgable Bobbi Brown make-up artist was there to assist and offered some great tips while applying the colors. I left with three colors and couldn't wait to hop out of bed the next morning to get ready - which is a rarity!

Colors from left to right:

Ivory 51

Sparkle Eye Shadow: Taupe 21

Black Plum 27

The first color I use is the Ivory as the base. I prefer a matte base in the winter and go for a shimmer in the summer. After covering the entire eye lid, I switch to the Black Plum for definition and to highlight key areas. This color is pretty dark and a little bit goes a long way. The Black Plum would also be great as an eye liner, either with a wet brush or to soften your liner. I basically put the black plum in a small triangle in the corner of each eye, lining my lashes and the crease. Last step is using the sparkle eye shadow in Taupe to blend the Black Plum and give it a softer look.

To take this look to evening, I would add eye liner and more Black Plum depending on how smokey I wanted to go. To finish the look, add a little bit of sparkle Taupe in the center to help the colors pop.

I am really happy with my colors. What do you think? Any great colors you like to use in the Fall/Winter months?

Thursday, September 20, 2012

Through our CSA program, we got a large bag of Jonathan apples and my husband wanted to make an apple pie with them. I didn't want to spend the time making a real apple pie so I convinced him that I could make a peasant version of an apple pie. My mom's easy version of stewed apples is exactly that. It tastes like apple pie filling. Plus, since it's September, I wanted a great fall side dish.

Ingredients:

Jonathan apples (I used five small apples for four servings)

1/4 cup of brown sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 cup of water

Directions:

Wash, core and cut apples into squares.

Put apples in a sauce pan on medium-low heat. Add 1/4 cup of water (or you could substitute for apple juice).

Add cinnamon. Add brown sugar. Stir.

Cover and let it cook for 30 minutes (or until the apples to get to the mushy consistency you like - I like for mine to not be too soft).

Thursday, September 13, 2012

One of my favorite Fall recipes was featured in the September 2009 issue of Real Simple Magazine. And yes, I have kept the actual magazine with the recipe in it. This is a great transition into the comfort food of Winter and highlights some of the seasonal favorites of Fall. The best part of this recipe is its a semi-homemade meal that only takes about 20 minutes to make. You can see more great recipes on RealSimple.com

Au revior,
Jamie

Image from RealSimple.com

Ingredients

1 pound cheese ravioli (I use a frozen package)

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 cup walnuts, roughly chopped

1 crisp apple (such as Braeburn or Gala), cut into matchsticks

1/2 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped

kosher salt and black pepper

1/4 cup grated Parmesan (1 ounce)

Directions

Cook the ravioli according to the package directions.

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the walnuts and cook, stirring often, until lightly toasted and fragrant, 4 to 5 minutes.

Add the apple, parsley, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper and toss to combine. Spoon over the ravioli and sprinkle with the Parmesan.

Monday, November 14, 2011

Thanksgiving is almost here, and I couldn't be more excited. I love all the holidays, but it's definitely one of my very favorites because it involves two of the things I really love: family and food! If you're hosting this year at your house, no doubt you have a lot to do, and maybe decor is the last thing on your mind. However today I'm going to show you a centerpiece idea that is simple to make, but looks like a display your guests will think you spent hours creating (when it really only take about 30 minutes!)

For this centerpiece I wanted to use things that people can find around the house, or that are readily available. Here's what you'll need:

Containers: I used vintage drinking glasses, green depression glass, and mason jars. Mason jars are great because you can give them away to your guests guilt free after your event (they're only $1.00 each, sold in a dozen at the grocery store).

Flowers: I purchased mine at the grocery store as well. Not all, but some stores have floral departments. Also Costco has a great selection of fresh flowers. Another resource would be a local florist, who has more of a selection of interesting blooms available for purchase by the stem.

Fall foliage gathered from trees in the yard. Don't have a yard? Try a nearby park.

Runner: I used inexpensive natural color muslin and left the edges rough for a more rustic look.

"Thankful for" cards (optional). I got mine at Paper Source, but there's also lots of free printables that you can get online. Here's one from our friend Julie at Coordinately Yours.

Clean your containers and fill them with water. Using various sizes, and shapes for a more layered look.

For these arrangements I used both flowers and also added in some purple Kale from the produce section for a bit of extra texture and color.

Start arranging by adding the greenery first. This acts as a base for your flowers.

Begin adding your blooms. There's no particular rhyme or reason since these arrangements have a more casual look and vibe to them. Use various colors, shapes, and sizes in each container. Remove as much of the leaves as possible from the stem that will be in the water, and also cut your stems so the flowers sit just above the mouth of the vase. This creates a more full look to your arrangements.

Before you add in your fall foliage make sure to beat the ends of the branches with a rubber or plastic mallet. This step isn't absolutely necessary, but it helps the woody stems absorb more water and keep from dropping all the leaves before your guests can even sit down to dinner.

Lay your runner out on the table and then begin to add your arrangements. As an added bonus I created a larger arrangement for the center of the table with Kale, fall leaves and branches. Have guests write on the "Thankful for" cards and add them to the branches with mini clothespins.

Mix in taper candles, votives, and gourds. The more layers you add to your centerpiece the more interesting it will be. I love to use Creative Candles for arrangements and special occasions. Not only do they come in a rainbow of different colors, burn slowly and cleanly, but they're also a locally based business! I got mine in eggplant to match the kale in the arrangements and my dining room walls.

Keep a few smaller arrangements on stand-by, and change out the larger one during dinner so your guests can easily see, and carry on conversation across the table.

Thanks so much for checking out my little Thanksgiving centerpiece DIY. Hope you have an amazing holiday!

Friday, November 4, 2011

The inspiration behind White Table Style, is that every project, recipe, design, or style starts with a blank canvas. And we are here to help provide ideas and share our favorite things for our readers to build upon their own white table.

The inspiration doesn't stop with our readers, after reading Ellen and Emily's posts on Fall/Autumn decor, I decided it was my turn to create my Fall tablescape on my "white" table. And I have some special guests coming to visit next week, so I wanted their first time seeing my new place to be a good one.

I grabbed a few items from around the house and mixed them with new Fall items from World Market. (btw, love that place, its close to my house and always has some great finds, like the reversible placemat - that I know I can use again soon). I also grabbed a few pumpkins from the grocery store. One addition that I might make right before my guests arrive are adding some flowers to the mix. I have a larger table, so I wanted to make sure I had height as well as items that are on a larger scale to match. I think it all came together perfectly. What do you think? I also thought about adding a tray - which one do you like best?

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

I love decorating for the holidays but for some reason I barely have any fall decorations. This year, I decorated with my usual fall wreath and buying some small pumpkins and guards to place around the living room.

I have decided that when everything goes on sale, I am officially purchasing my favorite season's decorations. Rather than purchasing just fall or just Halloween, I am wanting to combine the looks - for ease and savings. Plus, I like fall decorations over Halloween decorations.

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